Episode 2

The sacred clearing was silent when Eliza arrived with Caio and Mary, the surrounding trees seemed taller, older, as if they had witnessed hundreds of transformations before them. In the center, a large circle of white stones pulsed with a soft light, reflecting the full moon that already shone in the clear sky.

Eliza's heart beat fast, each step on the soft grass sounded like a drum in the silence of the night. Mary walked beside her, more nervous than ever, squeezing her hand tightly.

The two knelt before the sacred circle. Behind them were Caio and Mary's parents, and an elder who chanted in a language Eliza did not understand, but which made her body vibrate. The energy there was almost visible.

It was then that she felt it.

As if a warm breeze crossed the clearing, the moonlight descended intensely, focusing solely on her. Eliza raised her eyes, surprised, and the world seemed to stop. A warmth invaded her chest, and she gasped, bringing her hand to the place where she felt something strange.

Above her left breast, a mark appeared.

A perfect circle, red as freshly spilled blood, began to shine on her skin as if it had been drawn by the moonlight itself. It didn't hurt, it was warm, pulsating... alive.

Eliza looked at Caio, frightened, but before she could call his name, a sudden pain took over her body.

"AAH!" she screamed, bending over herself.

The air around her vibrated, and an ancestral howl echoed in the depths of her soul. She fell to her knees, gasping, as her vision darkened for seconds.

The transformation had begun.

Every bone in her body seemed to rearrange itself. The pain was immense, but at the same time, liberating. Her senses expanded. She smelled the wet earth, heard the flapping of an owl's wings hundreds of meters away. Her eyes turned golden for a moment before closing completely.

And then... she heard the voice.

"Eliza..."

It was soft, feminine, strong, and full of power.

"I am Aura, your wolf. I am with you now. Feel, accept. We are one."

Eliza could not respond with words, but within her, everything made sense. She recognized Aura as part of herself, as if she had always been there, just waiting to be released.

Her skin was tinged with silver light, and in the place where she had been kneeling, a magnificent she-wolf appeared with long fur, pearly white with golden nuances under the moonlight. She was graceful, firm, powerful, and very large, as Caio had never seen such a large she-wolf.

The clearing silenced.

All eyes were on her. Even the elders interrupted their chants, impressed.

But Eliza saw no one else. She felt full, whole. Aura pulsed within her, howling to the sky with a sound that seemed to echo to the ends of the world.

And although she still did not know the meaning of the mark on her chest, she felt that it would change everything.

Including her destiny.

Eliza's howl still echoed softly in the clearing when everyone turned their eyes to Mary. She trembled not with fear, but with emotion. Witnessing the transformation of her best friend had ignited something within her. Her heart beat erratically, and her eyes sparkled with the light of the full moon.

Guided by one of the elders, Mary took a step forward and entered the circle of stones.

As soon as she knelt, the moon shone on her body intensely, almost as it had done with Eliza, but differently. The light around her seemed to ripple, as if reflecting two distinct tones. And then came the pain. Mary bent over, squeezing her chest as she groaned.

Caio, who was still watching Eliza's she-wolf with teary eyes, turned at the sound. A shiver ran down his spine. There was something... wrong, or rather, something powerful happening.

Mary's body began to transform violently, her bones cracking, her eyes turning from a common green to an emerald golden tone. Her fur emerged in waves, black as night with vivid golden markings on her paws, back, and around her eyes. She was a blended she-wolf, a sign of balance between strength and wisdom.

And then, when her she-wolf was finally complete, her head raised to the moon, her eyes met Caio's.

The world stopped.

She felt a warmth take over her chest, an absolute certainty. There was no doubt, this was not just admiration or friendship. It was the bond, that ancient, indestructible bond, the call of the soul.

"Felon..." - her she-wolf's voice echoed in her mind - "you are ours."

Caio took a step back, his eyes wide. He felt the same. An invisible force pulled him to her. His inner wolf, dormant until that moment, roared in recognition.

"No... it can't be..." he whispered, confused, looking at Mary.

The she-wolf approached, slowly, her eyes fixed on him. When she rubbed her snout against his leg, Caio shuddered and it was true.

"It's you..." he murmured, kneeling, bringing his hand to her face, now in she-wolf form. "You are mine..."

In the clearing, a new howl arose, not of pain or transformation, but of union.

Destiny had spoken.

Mary, Eliza's inseparable friend, had found her soulmate, and he was her best friend's brother.

The moon was beginning to rise even higher in the sky when Eliza, already in her she-wolf form, felt the right moment. Aura, now part of her, guided her with calm and pride. Slowly, the moonlight enveloped her body again, and the transformation back was as serene as the previous one was intense.

She fell to her knees in the center of the clearing, her body covered by a white tunic that the elders had left for the human return. Gasping, but smiling, she felt more alive than ever. The connection with Aura was something that words could not explain.

When her eyes refocused, she saw something unexpected.

Mary, in her blended she-wolf form, was standing before Caio. The brother, who had always been firm and protective, seemed shaken, kneeling, with his hands on her face. His eyes were teary, but not with pain.

With love.

Eliza frowned, approaching slowly. Before she could speak, the she-wolf moved away from Caio, taking a few steps back. And then, like her, Mary began to return to human form.

The moonlight enveloped her friend, and soon there she was naked, but covered by the tunic given by the elders, with her hair loose, her eyes shining with emotion, and a new aura around her body.

Eliza approached, confused.

"Mary...? What was that? What happened?"

Mary hesitated for a second, but then, with a choked voice, replied:

"Caio... is my mate, Eliza."

Eliza's world spun for a moment. She looked from Mary's face to her brother's, who was standing, firm, but clearly emotional.

"Your... what?" she whispered.

Caio took a step forward.

"I felt it too, as soon as she transformed, my wolf woke up completely, the bond formed instantly, and when I saw Liz I swear I didn't expect it."

Eliza brought her hand to her heart, trying to assimilate.

Her best friend.

Her brother.

Mates.

For a moment, she was silent. Then, to the surprise of both, she smiled.

"The goddess really likes to play with our destinies..." she said, taking a deep breath. "But if she decided that you belong to each other, who am I to disagree?"

Mary ran to her, hugging her tightly. Eliza reciprocated, laughing through tears.

And in that instant, under the serene gaze of the full moon, three hearts beat in harmony.

But no one there imagined that the night was far from over.

For in the shadows of the forest, watching the scene in silence, was Lucas. He didn't see Eliza's she-wolf, he only felt the connection, and when he arrived, he saw her in her human form and rejected her right there without even talking to her. He refused to accept her.

And when his eyes landed on Eliza... something inside him broke.

Or rather, something was awakened.

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